Thus, there evolved the major types of functions of the neocortical mantle:

Transcription

1 Thus, there evolved the major types of functions of the neocortical mantle: Location sense This set the stage for more and more anticipation of inputs Object sense This also set the stage for more and more anticipation of inputs, involving both social and non-social objects Functions of the prefrontal elaborations of motor cortex: Cortical elaboration of complex movement abilities More and more planning for future actions became possible: - Initially the immediate future, later the more distant future as well 1

2 Questions, chapter 32 6) Discussion question: How does the hippocampal system facilitate the ability to anticipate the stimuli that an animal or person is about to encounter? What neocortical areas are primarily involved? 7) Contrast the anticipatory activity of the neocortical areas rostral to the primary motor cortex with the anticipatory activity of the multimodal association areas of the parietal and temporal lobes. 2

3 Why neocortex? Anticipation: The major innovation Evidence from physiology & from brain damage effects For location sense: Need for projections from neocortex to and from hippocampal formation (classes 28 and 30) 1. Head direction information for anticipating changes 2. Multiple frames of reference retained in multimodal association cortex, especially posterior parietal: Imposed on hippocampus For object sense, neocortical connections to and from amygdala/ventral striatum, and to dorsal striatum. Object perception allows prediction/ anticipation of inputs. 1. Social objects: living beings that move about 2. Non-social objects: both moving and fixed Planning: Prefrontal elaborations of motor cortex 1. Premotor, supplementary motor: learned movement patterns 2. Lateral prefrontal: Anticipatory eye movements and other movements, longer-range intentions 3. Orbital prefrontal: Anticipatory and learned motivations 3

4 Neocortex as anticipator and planner: Theory with evidence from electrical stimulation and recording, and lesion effects in humans Evolution of anticipatory activity in posterior neocortex, behind the central fissure: The central model of expected inputs: Images of objects at specific locations Novelty (unexpected input) causes arousal and orienting responses, with attraction of attention: when the model does not match the inputs. Lab studies by Eugene Sokolov, Moscow, 1960s: Novelty & the orienting reflex Suppression of this arousal when inputs are familiar Anterior to motor cortex, the same kind of central model corresponds to anticipation and planning of actions The model can control endogenous generation of actions (what we call voluntary actions) The activity of prefrontal cortex affects not only the premotor and motor cortex, but also the posterior association areas, activating the images relevant to the planned actions This kind of view of neocortex was presented by D.M. MacKay in the 1960s, and has been updated more recently. In computational terms, we can say that the central model of the world (of expected inputs) is a kind of simulation. This is what generates the imagery of lucid dreams (as in hypnogogic imagery/ dream state). 4

5 Ideas about CNS evolution: Multiple parallel pathways acting simultaneously Expansions of both striatum and neocortex occurred: They could operate relatively independently However, the striatum in mammals became increasingly dependent on neocortex for inputs. Neocortex expanded more. Distinct expansions of segregated neocortical regions occurred (mosaic evolution of functional modules) Example: expansion of visual areas in primates (See next slide and class 23.) These areas all act simultaneously. Example: expansions of subregions of somatosensory cortex representing fingers and tongue, with expansion of corresponding regions of motor cortex 5

6 From class 23 Evolutionary multiplications of cortical representations of the retina, especially in primates Figur e removed due to copyright restrictions. Please see course textbook or: Allman, John M., and Jon H. Kaas. "Representation of th e Visual Field on th e Medical Wall of Occipital-parietal Cort ex in the Owl Mon key." Science 191, no (1976): (Left) Microelectrode mapping of visual area M of the owl monkey. (Right) All visual areas thus mapped seen from the lateral side, including areas in the posterior parietal, temporoparietal, and inferotemporal neocortex. 6

7 Questions, chapter 32 8) What was probably the earliest parcellation of the pallium in chordates? 9) Discuss factors that must have influenced thalamic parcellation during brain evolution. 10)Discuss the common belief that the multimodal association areas of the neocortex, including the posterior parietal areas and prefrontal areas, are recent products of brain evolution. 7

8 Ideas about forebrain evolution: Suggested major steps reviewed and extended 1. Hagfish-like olfactory dominance of endbrain 2. Invasion of other modalities to give multimodal areas 3. Early dominance of the midbrain tectum critical for rapid reactions to non-olfactory stimuli: It became the major source of non-olfactory inputs to endbrain Via multimodal neurons of paleothalamus and portions of caudal neothalamus Via unimodal projections: The spatial pattern in lateral thalamus corresponds to the segregation of modalities in dorsal midbrain (next slide). 8

9 LD Fig 32-4 Courtesy of MIT Press. Used with permission. Schneider, G. E. Brain Structure and its Origins: In the Development and in Evolution of Behavior and the Mind. MIT Press, ISBN: Midbrain tectal and pretectal projections to lateral thalamic nucleus 9

10 Thalamic evolution: proposed parcellation of lateral nucleus by competition Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Fig 22-1 Courtesy of MIT Press. Used with permission. Schneider, G. E. Brain Structure and its Origins: In the Development and in Evolution of Behavior and the Mind. MIT Press, ISBN:

11 Ideas about CNS evolution: Suggested major steps, continued 4. Segregation of modalities within multimodal cell groups in forebrain Thalamus: Posterior nuclear group and ventral part of LP remain multimodal in modern mammals, abutting unimodal regions. Proposal: Multimodal convergence was the primitive state of most or all of the thalamus. Then parcellation occurred. Correlated changes occurred within neocortex - Multimodal thalamus to multimodal association cortex - Unimodal thalamus to primary sensory areas and to unimodal association cortex 11

12 Blue: thalamic cell groups dominated by inputs from midbrain tectum Courtesy of MIT Press. Used with permission. Schneider, G. E. Brain Structure and its Origins: In the Development and in Evolution of Behavior and the Mind. MIT Press, ISBN: Fig 32-5 Segregation of distinct cell groups in the dorsal thalamus in major vertebrate groups 12

13 Ideas about CNS evolution: Suggested major steps, continued 5. Evolution of pathways to neocortex not synapsing in midbrain VISUAL: Appearance of a lateral geniculate body within lateral posterior thalamus was very early in evolution, and was probably independent of the route from midbrain tectum to lateral thalamus. SOMATOSENSORY: Direct pathways from spinal cord and from hindbrain trigeminal nuclei to thalamus probably occurred very early. AUDITORY: In the auditory system, pathways bypassing the midbrain exist but are not well developed. Next: evolution of somatosensory and visual cortical areas. 13

14 Review: from chapter 15 Parcellation of sensorimotor cortex into distinct motor and sensory areas (the sensorimotor amalgam hypothesis) In evolution, parcellation probably occurred first in the thalamus, and later in neocortex. Remember the figure from an earlier class: 14

15 Virginia opossum Brush-tailed possum Rat Galago Fig 15-6 Courtesy of MIT Press. Used with permission. Schneider, G. E. Brain Structure and its Origins: In the Development and in Evolution of Behavior and the Mind. MIT Press, ISBN: VP to somatosensory cortex. VL to motor cortex. 15

16 Phylogenetic tree of visual neocortical areas A geniculostriate projection appears to have arisen by the tim of the transition to mammals. At least its precursor probably existed much earlier. Figure removed due to copyright restrictions. Please see course textbook or: Rosa, Marcello G. P, and Leah A. Krubitzer. "The Evolution of Visual Cortex: Where is V2?" Trends in Neurosciences 22, no. 6 (1999): (based on Rosa, 1999) Primary visual cortex and adjacent unimodal visual area probably appeared very early in evolution, as all extant mammals have 16

17 Evolutionary expansions of sensory neocortex by two different means By expansion of total area By multiplication of distinct representations of sensory surfaces 17

18 Old and new neocortical areas (Striedter p 205) Figure removed due to copyright restrictions. Please see: Striedter, Georg F. Principles of Brain Evolution. Sinauer Associates, ISBN: All extant mammals studied show the same primary sensory neocortical areas. 18

19 What the previous picture fails to show: 1. Multimodal regions do exist in between the major sensory areas in hedgehog, hamster, vole. Well studied in voles Unimodal and multimodal association areas are not as distinguishable as in primates. 2. Multimodal inputs to the primary sensory areas, e.g., auditory input to area 17. Parcellation of different sensory areas is not complete Importance? These neglected facts give us clues about the evolution of the neocortex. Ideas about this evolution have varied, and they continue to be developed as new data are obtained. 19

20 Evolutionary changes in thalamocortical axon trajectories Comparative neuroanatomical studies give indications of which pathways are more primitive and which are more recent in evolution. 20

21 Amphibian and reptilian dorsal cortex (multimodal) Image removed due to copyright restrictions. Please see: Allman, John Morgan. Evolving Brains. Scientific American Library: Distributed by W. H. Freeman and Co., ISBN:

22 (Includes some thalamocortical axons) Fig 32-6 Image is in public domain. Herrick, C. Judson. "The Morphology of the Forebrain in Amphibia and Reptilia." Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology 20, no. 5 (1910): Frog endbrain, frontal section, Golgi stain 22

23 Hedgehog neocortex, salamander dorsal pallium, turtle dorsal cortex (Striedter p 270) Note the differences in trajectories of axons from the thalamus (in red). Figure removed due to copyright restrictions. Please see: Striedter, Georg F. Principles of Brain Evolution. Sinauer Associates, ISBN:

24 For comparison: Trajectories of axons from thalamic nucleus LP in hamster: Possible significance for evolution Type 2 axon Type 1 axon Courtesy of MIT Press. Used with permission. Schneider, G. E. Brain Structure and its Origins: In the Development and in Evolution of Behavior and the Mind. MIT Press, ISBN: Fig

25 Brain structure and its origins MIT 9.14 Class 36 G. E. Schneider 2014 Neuronal arrangements of the neopallium, major cortical regions and axonal pathways Chapter 33 issues and questions 25

26 Topics Session 1 Evolution and functions of endbrain structures (introduction with review) Introduction to neocortical cell arrangements Comparisions to avian Wulst Session 2 Cell types and their connections Regions of the expanding neocortex Major fiber routes in and out of endbrain Sessions 3-4 Thalamocortical connections Association cortex and transcortical connections Thalamic evolution Sessions 4-5 Cortical development Cortical plasticity with effects of activity 26

27 Questions, chapter 33 1) Contrast some of the major neuronal cell types of the neocortex: first the spiny excitatory neurons, and second the non-spiny inhibitory neurons. What are the main neurotransmitters? What other characteristics can be used to differentiate them? 27

28 What are the names of the two most commonly encountered classes of cortical cells? Contrast and compare them. Classifying anything depends on the criteria used. In this case, do you use just morphological characteristics? Neurotransmitters and physiological effects? Molecular specificity of other kinds? 28

29 Figure removed due to copyright restrictions. Please see course textbook or: Kwan, Kenneth Y., Nenad Šestan, et al. "Transcriptional Co-regulation of Neuronal Migration and Laminar Identity in the Neocortex." Development 139, no. 9 (2012): Fig

30 The two major shapes of cortical neurons: Pyramidal & stellate cells (Nauta & Feirtag, fig. 109 & 110) Figure removed due to copyright restrictions. Please see: Nauta, Walle J. H., and Michael Feirtag. Fundamental Neuroanatomy. Freeman, ISBN:

31 Neocortical interneurons, mostly stellate in shape: Examples of specializations Brodal fig Figure removed due to copyright restrictions. Please see figure 20.6 of: Brodal, Per. The Central Nervous System, Structure and Function. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, ISBN: There are many more types of interneurons, especially if neurotransmitters and peptides in these cells are considered. 31

32 Not all local interconnections within the neocortex are made by the short-axon interneurons: 32

33 Figure removed due to copyright restrictions. Please see course textbook or: Scheibel, Madge E., and A. B. Scheibel. "Elementary Processes in Selected Thalamic and Cortical Subsystems the Structural Substrates." The Neurosciences. Second Study Program (1970): Fig 33-2 The extent of axon collaterals and dendritic arbors in 60-day cat cortex (drawing from Rapid Golgi sections by the Scheibels (1970) 33

34 What are the major morphological characteristics of the neocortex? Questions, chapter 33 2) How have neuroscientists defined cortical layers and cortical columns? Name the most common methods. 3) Describe different methods for differentiating different areas of the mammalian neocortex. How did Brodmann do it? 34

35 (From previous class) Human neocortex: 3 cytoarchitectural methods: The dominant cell type is the pyramidal cell. Is there a consistent pattern of connections of these neocortical cells? See fig 32.2 (and later in this class) Fig 32-1a Courtesy of MIT Press. Used with permission. Schneider, G. E. Brain Structure and its Origins: In the Development and in Evolution of Behavior and the Mind. MIT Press, ISBN:

36 From Brodal, 2 nd ed. fig 20.1; 3 rd ed. Fig 21.1 Note the names of the layers-- named for cell types rather than for axonal stratification. Figure removed due to copyright restrictions. Please see figure 21.1 of: Brodal, Per. The Central Nervous System, Structure and Function. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, ISBN: Note: The source of this particular figure is usually not cited accurately! 36

37 Question on cortical fiber architecture: What are the radial fascicles of the neocortex (Nauta & Feirtag p )? What are three major groups of cortical output axons found in these fascicles? and what are their destinations? 37

38 MIT OpenCourseWare Brain Structure and Its Origins Spring 2014 For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: